President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Olumide Akpata, has said that the federal government’s decision to suspend fuel subsidy removal is not unconnected to the 2023 general elections.
Recall that the federal government has foreclosed the removal of fuel subsidy due to the perceived difficulties associated with it.
But speaking on Channels Television on Monday, Akpata said the decision to postpone the planned subsidy removal is a temporary solution due to the 2023 elections.
According to him, anything short of suspending fuel subsidy removal would have been suicidal considering that election is around the corner.
“The subsidy issue is a hot potato for any government, particularly, in this part of the world. I would have loved to think that the decision to suspend fuel subsidy removal is because the government cares so much about the people, and that it is a government that is listening to the cries of the people, because indeed, as the minister of finance mentioned, it would be really tough if subsidy removal is implemented at this time with all of the other supervening circumstances.
“However, something tells me that this has more to do with what is in the offing, an election is coming up.”
“Those kinds of hard decisions I don’t think are the kind of decisions you want to take going into an election. Those are my thoughts. I may be wrong.
“I’m persuaded that this is just a temporary solution pending when the political juggernauts come back from the field,” he added.